Linux Review:

Dota 2

Every day, millions of players worldwide enter battle as one of over a hundred Dota heroes. And no matter if it's their 10th hour of play or 1,000th, there's always something new to discover. With regular updates that ensure a constant evolution of gameplay, features, and heroes, Dota 2 has taken on a life of its own.

Dota 2

NATIVE SUPPORT


Dota 2 - Native Linux

Every day, millions of players worldwide enter battle as one of over a hundred Dota heroes. With regular updates that ensure a constant evolution of gameplay, features, and heroes, Dota 2 has taken on a life of its own.

Status Check

Dota 2 boasts a native Linux version. While functional, several user reports suggest the need for specific tweaks to optimize performance and address audio issues.

TWEAKS & TRICKS

Audio Disappearance: Audio disappears immediately after the match is ready or after some period of time.

  • Solution: LD_PRELOAD=""

Audio Intermittency: Audio sometime stops working.

  • Solution: SDL_AUDIODRIVER=pipewire
  • Alternative Solution: -sdlaudiodriver=pulse

Performance at 1440p: Poor performance (50-60fps) initially.

  • Solution: Re-Size BAR Support & Above 4G

Performance with Wayland: Reports of improved performance with Wayland.

  • Solution: LD_PRELOAD="" SDL_VIDEODRIVER=wayland MESA_VK_WSI_PRESENT_MODE=relaxed mangohud gamemoderun gamescope -W 1920 -H 1080 -r 60 --expose-wayland --force-grab-cursor -- %command% -high -map dota
  • Alternative Solution: relaxed and mangohud 60 fps lock

Vulkan Issues: Reports of instability with Vulkan.

  • Solution: AMD_VULKAN_ICD=RADV MESA_SHADER_CACHE_MAX_SIZE=12G SDL_VIDEO_DRIVER=wayland %command% -vulkan_disable_steam_shader_cache -novid -nojoy -novr -console -nosplash

Screen Flicker: Occasional screen flicker issues.

  • Solution: Verify game files.

Verdict

Despite a native Linux version, users report needing to tweak launch options, particularly concerning audio and performance. However, once configured, Dota 2 appears to run exceptionally well on Linux, sometimes even surpassing Windows performance, especially with click-to-drag camera controls. For Linux gamers willing to experiment with launch options, Dota 2 is a worthwhile purchase.